Sports ramblings…with a Yankees bias!

Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!…

Less than a week until the Yankees travel to 4 Yawkey Way…

My nemesis last year was Julia of Julia’s Rants.The season started so great for her as the Boston Red Sox took the first eight games of the season series against the Yankees.For a time, it seemed as though the Yankees would never get a win.But then along came August, and the tide turned.Led by hip-rejuvenated Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees captured all but one of the remaining games in the series enroute to their 27th World Championship.

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There was hope that Julia and I could face one another in the ALCS but John Lackey and the Los Angeles Angels had other ideas.Of course, after the season, Theo and the Red Sox decided that if you can’t beat him, sign him as they inked Lackey to a five-year deal to be their number 2 starter.I know that Josh Beckett is the ace of the staff, but if I were building a franchise, I’d pass on Beckett and Lackey and go with Jon Lester.

Barry Chin/Boston Globe

Still it was gratifying to beat Julia and to enjoy the success of a championship season (my seventh as a Yankees fan).Conversely, I am 0-for-lifetime as a fan of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.If only Brett Favre had just tucked the ball and ran…

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Here we are ready for a new season, and the battle between Julia and I gets off to a very early start.I was listening to an interview with Boston beat writer Ian Browne and someone asked him if it was too early for Yankees-Red Sox.His response was that it could be January 19th and a foot of snow on the ground and it wouldn’t be too early.Precisely!Granted, it’s your final record that determines whether you’ll see October, but the Yankees measure themselves against the Red Sox.There is much more satisfaction in beating Boston than there is in beating, say, Kansas City.The wins are measured the same, but still a win against the Royals just doesn’t have the same meaning.I don’t want to offend my friends in Tampa because I know the Rays have the talent to win it all so this is not about disrespect.However, the rivalry between the Rays and Yankees just isn’t as deep and heated as it is against the Red Sox.There was a day that I despised the Baltimore Orioles like no other, so I am sure that the tide will eventually turn.However, right now, as it has been for most of the past decade, baseball doesn’t get any better than Yankees-Red Sox.As a Bay Area resident, I’ve been to Giants-Dodgers games, but they just don’t compare.

For our first wager, Julia and I have agreed to a book report assignment.The winner gets to send a book of his/her choice (I know, the winner pays…go figure).If the Yankees win, Julia gets to read and write a book report on the following book:

Don’t click…this was just a cut and paste from Amazon.com! The real thing will be making the trip to the Boston metro area to see my friend Julia! I chose this book because it had special meaning to me.1947 was the year that my late father graduated from high school, and it was the dawn of the great Yankees dynasty of the early 50’s.If I could go back in time, 1927 would be my first choice so that I could watch the greatest Yankees team of all-time.But for a second choice, given all of the great Yankees clubs in the past, 1947 would be next.The team didn’t realize that it was on the verge of the greatest success in baseball history and it would have been fun to see the excitement and enthusiasm of those early years.

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Yeah Joe, you can smile a little larger! You’ll be getting over on that dude next to you! 🙂

If I lose (c’mon, Carsten Charles Sabathia, don’t let me down!), I will have to read one of Julia’s favorites:

I like Julia’s essays, so I am pulling for my favorite MLB Blogger!Go Julia!Lose to the Yankees and write that book report!As Rob Schneider would say, ‘C’mon, you CAN do it!’.😉

Congratulations to Ian Kennedy for being named to the starting rotation for the Arizona Diamondbacks.I was very frustrated at times with Kennedy and his attitude when he was with the Yankees, but I do hope that he finds success.It wasn’t that long ago when his name was mentioned in the same breath as Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.Also, hats off to the Detroit Tigers newly named starting center fielder Austin Jackson.Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy seeing Curtis Granderson in center field for the Yankees.But I will also wonder ‘what could have been’ with Ajax.He made me a believer with the way he tattooed a home run a couple of years ago in spring training.Granted, he is not a home run hitter, but he has that “it” quality people talk about. Having Johnny Damon as your personal mentor is not a bad thing so long as Damon doesn’t wear that freakin’ 2004 ring!😉

Andrew Mills/The Star Ledger/US Presswire

I was also glad to see Chad Gaudin land with the local Oakland A’s.It is his second go-around with the A’s, and I think he’ll thrive in their bullpen.I am only a BART trip away from the A’s Stadium, so I am sure that I’ll be there a time or two to see how he progresses in his return.

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Is this really the last season of 24?Wow, those were eight fast years!On the bright side, you know that they can’t kill off Jack Bauer.Not with the proposed movie deals in the works…

How could Jesse James cheat on Sandra Bullock?I don’t get it.She is perhaps one of the most beautiful and inspirational actresses of my lifetime.

I know, I’m getting way off topic. Sorry.I’ll close with saying that I am pulling for Crystal Bowersox on American Idol!Go Crystal!Keep up what you are doing.You are special!

Sorry my friend – but your book report will be a GREAT birthday present for me!! GAME ON!! And hey – if you want to cheer on a football team that WINS Super Bowls – the Patriots are accepting new fans!😉

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